Washington Special Permit Drawing Results

[PNWtrekker]

Swing and a miss...

I boycotted WA Department of Fish and Wildlife for years after the "official" wolf reintroduction. Once the boys became hunting age, it became a choice of economics, out of state hunting gets expensive so I am back to hunting WA. As a result, I am a low low low on points. So... OTC in WA for me this year.

 

[Caseknife]

Doesn't matter if you are high in points in WA, still very long odds to draw anything, but there is a chance albeit very miniscule.

 

[PNWtrekker]

I don't understand it. We have such amazing looking country, but the critters seem scarce. High pressure, wolves, soon to be grizzlies, no trapping, no hounds, and now no spring bear certainly doesn't help game management but still, I would expect to see more animals especially in the coastal units. I've often suspected the sprays they are using on the clearcuts is causing some of the problems. Prior to the late 1990s you couldn't throw a rock at a clearcut without hitting a blacktail. Now, good luck unless you're sitting in your back yard. Seems like they are all congregating in cities and residential areas. I'm hoping to change my luck by getting into some more remote areas I have never hunted before on the eastside.

 

[Caseknife]

I don't understand it. We have such amazing looking country, but the critters seem scarce. High pressure, wolves, soon to be grizzlies, no trapping, no hounds, and now no spring bear certainly doesn't help game management but still, I would expect to see more animals especially in the coastal units. I've often suspected the sprays they are using on the clearcuts is causing some of the problems. Prior to the late 1990s you couldn't throw a rock at a clearcut without hitting a blacktail. Now, good luck unless you're sitting in your back yard. Seems like they are all congregating in cities and residential areas. I'm hoping to change my luck by getting into some more remote areas I have never hunted before on the eastside.

"Soon to be grizzlies"? We've had grizzlies for many years in this state wandering in from Idaho and BC.
Ungulates/prey have too many predators in this state, we being one of them. We have had hard winters, bouts of EHD, tick infestation of moose and many other issues that have had an impact on deer, elk and moose.
Wouldn't be surprised if the herbicides used by the timber companies to create essential monocultures of the forests is found to be the main culprit in TAHD. Can't introduce something into an environment without having effects.

 

[PNWtrekker]

"Soon to be grizzlies"? We've had grizzlies for many years in this state wandering in from Idaho and BC.
Ungulates/prey have too many predators in this state, we being one of them. We have had hard winters, bouts of EHD, tick infestation of moose and many other issues that have had an impact on deer, elk and moose.
Wouldn't be surprised if the herbicides used by the timber companies to create essential monocultures of the forests is found to be the main culprit in TAHD. Can't introduce something into an environment without having effects.

Funny story. I had a buddy get in an argument with a DFW biologist several years ago about him seeing a grizzly in the North Cascades. The biologist started shaming him and talking down to him. When he pulled out his phone and showed the picture of the grizzly standing in the middle of a north cascade highway with a campground sign directly behind the grizzly, the conversation rapidly changed course. Had another buddy see a lynx at his cabin in the north cascades. He was able to get a real good long look as he was sitting on his porch about half snoozing when it showed up. I once saw a critter I couldn't explain. Turns out it was a fisher. But that wasn't as exciting because unknown to me DFW has apparently been doing some controlled releases. All that to say, I agree, we have always had Canadian visitors, especially in the Cascades. Also ran into an old timer in the early 80s that used to watch wolf packs run down deer and elk on his runway in the snow in northern Idaho well before the "reintroduction."

 

[PNWtrekker]

I guess by "Soon to be grizzlies" I meant garbage eaters and dumpster flippers from Montana er... I mean from existing healthy populations...

 

[Wasurveyor]

They love the predators in WA